Review of Somewhere (2010) by Spangle — 25 Nov 2016

A meditation on stardom and parenthood, Sofia Coppola's Somewhere is not nearly engaging enough to truly become a phenomenal work. Yet, its thematic indulgences make the film a worthwhile piece to further examine. Telling the story of a famed Hollywood actor, Somewhere explores the distance he feels with the rest of the world, the claustrophobia induced by his stardom, and the unexpected bond he forms with his daughter. With top-notch acting, good direction, and solid writing, Somewhere is a film that may not be the most entertaining work ever released, but is still a smart assessment on the topics it addresses.

In terms of stardom, the film largely explores how trapped our protagonist, Johnny Marco (Stephen Dorff), is by his fame. Stuck in a life of casual sex that he appears to be disenchanted with and has proven unfruitful, Johnny is wisked from location-to-location in order to promote his latest work. One such occasion finds him sent to make a mold of his face for the special effects department. Trapped in a seat for 40 minutes as the mold sets, the film's greatest exploration of its thematic dealings comes in this sequence. Physically showing how trapped he is by his now unwanted life, Johnny is then confronted by an older version of himself, courtesy of the terrific special effects team. Seeing himself as an old man in the mirror, Johnny is confronted by the path he is headed towards, should he not make an adjustment in his present course. Dorff really brings this element to life by being largely unconnected. Emotionless and distant when being whisked from Los Angeles to Milan for a television show and some interviews, Johnny Marco is certainly a man who is feeling deeply unfulfilled, in spite of his seemingly perfect life.

What really drives home his dissatisfaction is his relationship with his daughter Cleo (Elle Fanning). Left with him by his ex-wife who runs off to have some alone time, Johnny truly begins to bond with his daughter. With her at his side, he finally begins to feel happy and satisfied. While this drives him closer to the edge - especially after she leaves for summer camp - it also allows him to confront his demons. By the end of the film, we see him up and leave his past life and embark on a new journey. Even more, we see him cope with the loneliness forced upon him with Cleo's departure. We see how unhappy he is without her and this awakens an element of being a parent with him, which was previously non-existent. These thematic explorations are terrifically handled in the film by director Sofia Coppola who gives her characters room to breathe and emote in their own unique way.

Of course, credit must be given to both Dorff and Fanning. Together, the duo has great chemistry and truly makes you believe they are father and daughter. Their relationship has an authenticity and overt bonding element that really makes you feel the impact their new found friendship has had on the two of them. Also a credit to the writing, as these two are very developed, even if there is a limit to the depth and amount of "fleshing out" given to any character in the film. As, essentially, a slice of life film, Somewhere rarely delves into what got these characters here and only shows us their present. This really does give a limited scope in our understanding of these people, though the film endeavors to try and fill us in as much as possible.

That said, this lack of depth really does hurt when it comes to how engaging the film truly is and its impact upon the viewer. With the lack of a past for anybody, the film truly lacks the feel of culmination. As we did not get to see their entire journey, the ending feels flat almost and not a hard fought victory after years of turmoil and toiling in self-loathing. The film itself is also poorly paced for much of it, with the impact of leaving the viewer desperately clawing at something to hang onto. For many, this manifested itself in a disdain for the protagonist, due to his distant and privileged lifestyle. Myself, I never felt any disdain. However, it did lack an element that could have made the film more relatable and, therefore, impactful.

As a whole, Somewhere is a good look at parenthood and troubles with stardom. However, a lack of relatability and the remarkable distance between the characters and the audience leaves the film feeling entirely hollow and unfulfilling. That said, its thematic elements are terrific and Coppola does a great job exploring and managing these elements.